If Centre agrees, Mayawati ready for Uttar Pradesh’s division

Lucknow, Jan 15 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today said that her Government would support the division of the State, if the Centre agrees. Mayawati said that it was not the State’s prerogative, but would offer her full support once the Central Government gave the green signal for division of the State into - Poorvanchal, districts of western region and the Bundelkhand region –, as she marked her 52nd birthday today. “Declaring Bundelkhand as a separate State is not in our hands. It is the discretion of the Central Government. Whenever the Central Government decides to give Bundelkhand the status of a separate state, then our government will immediately get an order passed from the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to declare it as a separate State,” she said. Mayawati’s remarks came close on the heels of the Congress party’s demand to carve out a separate state of Bundelkhand. The Bundelkhand Mukti Morcha has also been demanding a separate state. Meanwhile, although Mayawati had given her party workers clear instructions to keep it simple, they left no stone unturned to make her birthday celebrations special. Entire Lucknow was painted blue, the colour of BSP’s flag. Hoardings were put up across the city bearing messages congratulating Mayawati on her 52nd birthday. Mayawati also cut a gigantic 52-kilogram cake ordered by her party workers. On the occasion, Mayawati announced the country’s biggest road project — a 1,040-km long, eight-lane Ganga Expressway connecting Noida with Ballia. The expressway will be completed in four years. Besides this, she announced a slew of projects, including a health insurance scheme for those living below the poverty line, the Rs 1600 crore-drought relief, and an ultra-mega thermal power project. (ANI)